Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Honest. Quirky. Real. Practical tips, candid reviews, and stereotype-smashing humor for homeschooling families.

Honest. Quirky. Real. Practical tips, candid reviews, and stereotype-smashing humor for homeschooling families.

Enhanced Learning With Games In Your Homeschool

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Written by Erin Vincent of Nourishing My Scholars.

Games are a great way to enhance learning in your homeschool this year. Not only are games fun but they offer ample opportunities for children to practice their verbal communication skills, turn taking, and cooperation with others!  Plus our kids are learning to handle wins and losses with grace and humility.

But did you know that there are games to help enhance specific aspects of core subjects like math, history, and science?

Enhanced Learning With Games In Your Homeschool

Enhanced Learning In Our Homeschool

At the beginning of the year, I vowed to create more meaningful connections with my children. My idea was to include more brownies, books, and games as a way of incorporating joy. I think I’ve been successful. We have seen more time in the kitchen this year than ever before, and not just for making brownies…but all sorts of delicious treats have been joyfully woven into our weeks and studies!

Books are a staple in our home and in our education too. Read alouds, chapter books, and even audio stories play a foundational role in how we approach learning. One can never have too many books…or book shelves! We have huge stacks all around the house plus we keep several totes of library books on hand too. We can learn most everything, from history to math, with books.

Games were something that was a little hit and miss for us at first. I’m really not a fan of Trouble, or Sorry. Actually…I’d rather bang my head into a wall than play them. It wasn’t until we discovered other games like Catan, Castle Panic, and Dragonwood that our love and joy for games really took off.

So much joy in fact, that even when packing for vacation the children wanted to bring ALL of the games! They were adamant that every single one was NEEDED. Yes, there was loads of play happening even on the beach.

Once we were playing games that everyone enjoyed, the benefits of play became evident.

Once we were playing games that everyone enjoyed, the benefits of play became evident.Click To Tweet

Playing games provides opportunities for teachable moments as well as critical thinking, problem-solving, and improved memory skills. Logic and reasoning skills are also strengthened through game play.

So, while everyone is shopping around for the perfect curriculum and filling their online carts with school supplies, I’ve taken a slightly different approach to this new school year. Granted, my online cart is full, but not with all of the items you might expect. There are books, pens, a pair of dragon slippers, and a few art supplies…but the majority?

It’s games!

Enhanced Learning With Games In Your Homeschool

Enhanced Learning With History Games

Games pair beautifully and easily with living books and core subjects like history. Are your kids studying ancient civilization this year? Why not add in the 7 Wonders? This is a favorite in our home! Every player must build their civilization plus one ancient wonder all while adding and subtracting points.

Of course, just like books, one can never have too many games…can they? After reading a book on Greek mythology we enjoyed Zeus on the Loose! When studying fairy tales we added in Sleeping Queens. I personally have Professor Noggin’s Wonder of the World and Duel patiently waiting in my online cart.

If your children are studying early American history then try Timeline, Catan Histories: Settlers of America, Constitution Quest Game, and Professor Noggin’s American Revolution.

Modern History couples nicely with Axis and Allies, Timeline Historical Events, and Professor Noggin’s Countries of World War II.

Enhanced Learning With Science Games

If you’re needing a bit of science in your homeschool, but don’t feel like getting messy with an experiment, then Hit the Habitat Trail is great for polishing up on those scientific facts about habitat, environment, and animals!

My kids also enjoy Gravity Maze for a little STEM science. It’s a marble run/logic puzzle that gets increasingly harder as you progress and puts your brain through a total workout.

I’ve currently got Cardline Animals, Totally Gross: The Game of Science, and Science Ninjas: Valence Card Game sitting in my online cart too.

Enhanced Learning With Games In Your Homeschool

Enhanced Learning With Math Games

Keeping math fun is of utmost importance and one of the ways we do that is by practicing our math facts with games! Often, after reading a favorite math book, we’ll incorporate some math play.

Games are educational and totally count as homeschool in our home because they help our kids to understand concepts that they may be working on.

My kids LOVE Prime Climb, Yahtzee, Rummikub, and 4 Way Count-Down! But I’m also hoping to add Math Dice, Sumoku, and Sequence to our homeschool line up.

Enhanced Learning With Games In Your Homeschool

Enhanced Learning With Geography Games

Did you know that you can brush up on your geography by playing games? We like to pair Ticket to Ride Europe with our Around the World Audio Stories.

The Scrambled States of America and Sequence: States and Capitals are fun to play when learning U.S. geography. While Brain Box: All Around the World and World GEO Bingo are fantastic when studying world geography.

Now it’s your turn! Tell me, what games will you incorporate into your homeschool?

Enhanced Learning With Games In Your Homeschool

6 Easy Ways to Learn Through Travel

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Written by Chelsea Gonzales of Wonder Wherever We Wander.

My husband and I roadschool our son. This lifestyle was something we decided to do after realizing just how much he—and our family—can benefit from the experiences offered by long-term travel. It was a fantastic decision, and we have no regrets.

However, we have come across some naysayers who don’t comprehend the ways to learn through travel. They can’t imagine that our child could possibly be getting all of his lessons in while we are on the road.

6 Easy Ways to Learn Through Travel

What these people fail to realize is that traveling is his lesson. At five years old, it’s the only one he should be concerned about at this time.

So how do we ensure our son continues learning and growing as we explore the United States? Well, in all honesty, we could probably do next to nothing and continue to watch him blossom. However, we prefer to take a more active role in his education, and we have found many wonderful ways to enhance the educational value of our travels.

roadschooling

If you’d like to capitalize on the educational offerings of your family’s adventures, try these 6 easy ways to learn through travel.

Seek Out Educational Attractions

We adore science museums and unique libraries. Sometimes zoos or children’s museums will make their way into our itinerary. State and national parks also present great learning opportunities.

Many people are curious about how we afford to do all of these things. I would love to tell you that we’re independently wealthy and never have to worry about money, but that would be far from the truth.

Since we don’t have unlimited funds, we make good use of several reciprocal memberships. By planning our travel around the attractions offered by these memberships, we can see more for much less.

By planning our travel around the attractions offered by these memberships, we can see more for much less.Click To Tweet

Read on the Go

Our family loves books! We listen to audio books and podcasts in the car and read aloud before bed. Our son taught himself to read with very little help from us using the Teach Your Monster to Read app. Now he uses Amazon FreeTime to read or listen to stories on his tablet when we aren’t available.

All of this reading means we gather a lot of information which sometimes leads to new hobbies and interests, all of which help us to grow intellectually as individuals and as a family.

Pay Attention to Your Surroundings

It often happens that the very best educational activities are not premeditated. By always staying aware of our surroundings, we have had many learning opportunities fall into our laps. From the fossils found during a recent nature hike to the little lizard discovered on my son’s bike during a ride one evening, we are constantly finding new things to discuss, read about, and enjoy.

homeschooling while traveling

Take it Slow

Those who pack too many things into each day tend to miss out on the natural learning experiences that come their way. Even if they do happen to slow down enough to notice something interesting, they often rush away before any real discovery occurs.

Therefore, we always make sure to schedule plenty of downtime into our days. We try to remain flexible in case we need to suddenly change plans to allow for further exploration of a place or thing.

Weave Lessons In

While we do take advantage of the lessons that come our way naturally, we also make an effort, as much as possible, to actively weave lessons into our travel. For instance, we will play number games while driving down the highway, have our son count out change for purchases at gift shops, or write letters to friends and family to practice spelling and handwriting.

By doing these things, we can make sure our son is getting a well-rounded set of skills.

6 Easy Ways to Learn Through Travel

Get to Know the Locals

This is admittedly something we need to do more of ourselves. By getting to know the locals, a person can get a better understanding of the culture and history of a place. Additionally, the locals always know the best places to go for fun, adventures, and good food—all things we definitely appreciate.

Whether you are planning a weekend trip, a week-long vacation, or long-term travel, these six tips will help you make the most of the educational opportunities you find, even while on the go.

Do you have an educational travel tip you’d like to add or a question about roadschooling?

The Benefits of Playing Board Games this Summer

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Written by Erin Vincent of Nourishing My Scholars.

Sometimes the summer heat is too much, and you need to cool off indoors. Rather than hopping on a video game or popping in a movie this summer, why not unplug from the digital world?

Playing board games is a perfect way to spend time with your children during the hottest months of the year. Did you know there are benefits, other than beating the heat, to playing board games with your kids?

Educational Benefits of Playing Board Games this Summer

In my post, 5 Ways to Keep Math Fun, I talk about adding board games to our everyday routine and how it helps us keep math fun. For children who struggle with math, gameplay provides an enjoyable, real world application for many of their math facts. Our son claimed to hate math at one time – I honestly don’t think he hated math. He just didn’t care for the math curriculum we were using at the time. Thankfully, we tossed that particular book aside.

But, our son has always LOVED games that involved math! Prime Climb is a favorite of his, and it encompasses addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division! Board games during the summer help kids practice those math facts!

Playing games provides ample opportunities for teachable moments, too. These teachable moments include sharing, listening, early literacy skills, and following directions.

Some of the other advantages of board games are that children get to practice their verbal communication skills, cooperation with others, taking turns, and learning to handle wins and losses. You can keep all of those skills sharp during the summer months by playing games.

The Benefits of Playing Board Games this Summer

Cognitive Benefits of Playing Board Games this Summer

Critical thinking and problem-solving are a huge benefit to playing games with your kids, as is improved memory. Logic and reasoning skills enhance critical thinking. Kids (and adults!) can strengthen these skills with practice. The more games they play, the more practice they get!

Games aren’t just for elementary age kids either. Teenagers and adults can all benefit from the brain exercises and mental stimulation that gameplay provides. It’s a win/win.

The Benefits of Playing Board Games this Summer

Family Benefits of Playing Board Games this Summer

We are a family of game lovers! Why? Board games help us to unplug from the digital world and bond together as a family. We are building our relationships and making memories every time we play games together.

The Benefits of Playing Board Games this Summer

When we play games as a family we laugh, joke, plan, strategize, solve problems, and set goals. Plus, there are so many more games out there than there was when you were ten years old. Granted some of the old fashioned games like Clue, Monopoly, and Chess are still favorites. You can’t go wrong with a classic game.

But, our newest obsessions include Catan, Castle Panic, Ticket to Ride, Hit the Habitat Trail, Dragonwood, Forbidden Island, Evolution, and Prime Climb…just to name a few!

Now it’s your turn! Tell me, what board games will you play with your kids this summer?

5 Ways to Make Math Practice Fun

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Written by Tara Mitchell of Embark on the Journey.

Do your kids dread practicing their math facts? Do they grumble when you break out the flash cards or the math workbooks?

Try putting the teaching materials aside every now and again. There are many non-traditional ways our kids can practice counting, adding, subtracting and such.

By incorporating movement, games, and even candy, we can keep the drudgery of learning math facts at bay. Who knows, your kids may even begin to look forward to math practice if you try these fun ideas.

1. Play games.

There are so many board games and card games that you can play to help your kids practice beginning math skills. Uno and Go Fish are great for number and/or color recognition. Candyland and Chutes & Ladders will have your children practicing their counting skills.

Older kids can enjoy a rousing game of War while practicing greater than and less than. Many games can be adapted to practice addition, subtraction, or multiplication, as well.

2. Teach with candy.

Whether you’ve got leftover candy from the holidays or you’re looking for a fun new way to teach a lesson, you can’t go wrong when you incorporate candy into your daily math lessons.

Use M&Ms or Skittles as counters while practicing addition and subtraction. They’re great for making groups to show multiplication and division, as well.

Hershey bars are great for showing fractions. Marshmallows and gumdrops, when paired with toothpicks, can be used to build shapes, both 2D and 3D.

3. Toss those facts around.

Blow up a beach ball and use a permanent marker to write numbers all over it. Now, you can play a game of catch with your child. For preschoolers and kindergarteners, play “What Comes Before/After.” Toss the ball to your child, and have them name the number that comes before and/or after the number their thumb is touching.

As your kids get older, you can continue playing the game while practicing basic math facts. Call out a number, 2 for example. Have your child add, subtract, or multiply that number with the number their thumb touches as they catch the ball.

There are so many ways to adapt this game as your child’s knowledge base grows. The possibilities are endless.

4. Take it outside.

Grab some sidewalk chalk and head outside for math. Draw a hopscotch board on the sidewalk, and fill it with math problems or numbers.

Use rocks or twigs for counters as you practice addition and subtraction facts or even just counting.

Draw numbers with chalk. Call out a math problem, and let your child squirt the correct answer with a water gun.

5. Have a scavenger hunt.

Scavenger hunts are great indoors or out. Call out instructions for your preschoolers to find three items. Or, have them find two round objects. Can they find a red object or something that is a square? This is a great way to reinforce colors, numbers, and shapes with your youngest learners.

Sometimes, just getting up and moving is enough to make working on math facts fun instead of a chore.

How do you break up the monotony and make math fun for your kids?

 

6 Easy Ways to Learn Through Summer Fun

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Written by Chelsea Gonzales of Wonder Wherever We Wander.

Summer is almost here. While some homeschoolers choose to continue schooling right on through the warmer months, many families take a break.

A break from formal schooling doesn’t have to mean a break from learning. In fact, by planning the right kinds of activities, you may find that your kids are learning more than ever. As an bonus, they’ll be having a blast doing it.

With this in mind, begin planning your summer right away. Look for fun activities to fill your time as a family, and then find the learning opportunities within them. Almost any activity you do contains little nuggets of knowledge. Find those nuggets, expand upon them, read about them, and create your own summer learning adventure.

At a loss for what sorts of things your family should do? Couple these popular summer activities with ideas for adding extra educational value to them.

#1: Swimming

Everyone loves a good swim on a hot day. Swimming allows you to to cool off and get in some exercise. It also gives kids an opportunity to experiment with water.

Show the kids how to make a wave pool or a whirlpool and discuss the science behind how they work. Try putting together small sailboats using various materials. See which boats float the best or move the fastest, and talk about why.

#2: Movies

Take advantage of movies in the park  and special deals at local movie theaters, and see a good flick during your summer break. Although watching movies might seem like an entirely mindless activity, this isn’t always true.

Depending on the movie, you may find the experience educational in and of itself. If not, there are plenty of ways to add to the experience and make it educationally worthwhile.

For instance, before watching a movie based on a book, read the book. Then, use the time after the movie to compare and contrast the two.

Before watching a movie set in the past, learn a bit about the era. If it’s a science fiction film, your kids may find it interesting to look into the feasibility or accuracy of the scientific ideas presented.

You can learn a lot when you use summer movies as the jumping-off point for digging in deeper.

#3: Camping

There is nothing quite as thrilling as sleeping in a tent surrounded by the sounds of the forest. Stargazing, fishing, and hiking are all wonderful camping activities that your family to enjoy as a family. Additionally, each of these experiences provides little explorers with a wealth of new information.

Turn your hike into a nature scavenger hunt. See what kinds of animal tracks you can find and discuss the ecosystem of the location. Learn about various birds and see how many you can find on your hike.

Fishing is a great life skill in and of itself. However, you can add to the experience by learning about the kinds of fish in the lake, discussing the ecosystem of the area, and reading about the history of fishing.

Stargazing is a great way to learn about the universe around us. Pick up some good books about constellations or outer space before heading out on your camping trip. Read them around the campfire as you gaze up at the stars.

#4: Museums

Museums may seem like a boring suggestion for an educational summer outing. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Most cities have hands-on science and children’s museums, and some even offer living history exhibits. These kinds of museums are geared specifically to the younger crowd. Choose a kid-friendly museum, and you can be confident that your little ones will have a blast.

At the museum, take note of what piques his interest. Perhaps it’s the big exhibit or the hands-on rocket building station. Whatever captures your child’s interest, make a note of it. Expand on the topic when you get home through discussions, reading, internet searches, and YouTube videos.

#5: Bowling

Many bowling alleys offer a Kids Bowl Free program for the summer, making summer a fantastic time to introduce kids to bowling.

If bowling itself isn’t enough to get you to the alley, consider the lessons to be learned there. Younger kids can get in some addition practice by keeping score on an old-fashioned scorecard. Meanwhile, older kids can read up on the physics of bowling and watch those laws in action as they knock down some pins.

#6: Library

Escape the summer heat and keep your children reading over summer break with a visit to the local library.

From chess clubs to sewing classes, most libraries offer a variety of fun, educational activities in addition to summer reading programs. Regular access to new books and videos will give the kids an opportunity to study whatever captures their interest.

With this list in hand and a bit of creative thinking, you and your family can plan a summer full of fun and learning!

What are your plans for the summer break?